Tigers Open Conference Play With Comeback Road Victory

Jimmy Thinnes

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Wittenberg Tiger men soccer team was in an unfamiliar situation at halftime of its first conference match of the year - trailing the homestanding Allegheny Gators 1-0 at the intermission. However, two strikes within five minutes of one another in the second session changed all that and propelled the Tigers to a 10-0-0 start and their first conference victory of the season.

Trailing for only the second time in 2008, Wittenberg rallied back right after the hour mark, when senior midfielder Jimmy Thinnes (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) found the net to level the match. With renewed vigor, the Tigers would parlay their success into a second goal - the game-winner coming from Ryan Ruef (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder). It was Ruef's fifth of the campaign as the Tigers would hold on for the victory to claim their first NCAC win of the year.

The match ran relatively even, with both sides firing 12 shots, while the Gators outcornered Wittenberg 6-4. Freshman goalkeeper Michael Lambeck (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) picked up the win in goal while also collecting three saves, including a game-changing stop of a penalty kick. Wittenberg has come up empty on a penalty kick of its own earlier in the game.

Tiger Head Coach Steve Dawson singled out two defensemen for their stellar work in the game - junior Michael Condon (Powell, Ohio/Watterson) and senior Justin Jenkins (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman). He said both worked hard to pick the Tigers up from a dismal opening 45 minutes.

With the lid opened on the conference season, the Tigers now travel to Wooster on Saturday, October 4th, to take on the Scots in a 3:30 p.m. match.

Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant